Marlborough College
Deus Dat Incrementum
Founded in 1843, Marlborough College became the first major British boys' independent school to admit girls, beginning in the Sixth Form in 1968 and extending to full co-education by 1989, a genuinely pioneering position it has held for several decades. That same forward-looking spirit runs through its wider life today, in an education that cultivates ambition and achievement alongside kindness, integrity, and a strong sense of service.
Key Facts
Location : Marlborough, Wiltshire
Type : Co-educational, boarding and day
Age Range : 13 to 18
Pupil Numbers : Approx. 1,000 pupils
Founded : 1843
Motto : Deus Dat Incrementum ("God Gives the Increase")
Academic Profile
In the Shell year, every pupil at Marlborough studies Latin within a broad foundation, before taking their GCSEs. In the Sixth Form they study A Levels, many adding the Extended Project Qualification, and Old Marlburians proceed to Oxford and Cambridge, and to leading universities overseas in North America and Europe.
Co-Curricular Life
Drama is a particular strength, built around the college's own 400-seat theatre, which stages several major productions, musicals, and house plays each year and makes Marlborough a natural home for aspiring actors. Music runs alongside it with real depth, supported by a partnership with a professional London orchestra, and the visual arts are well provided for across the college's 286 acre grounds. Sport is played on a broad and competitive scale, from rugby and hockey to tennis, fencing, swimming, and polo.
Admissions Essentials
Pupils join Marlborough College in Year 9, at age thirteen, with further places available at Year 10 and a day house option alongside the college's full boarding. Registration is recommended well ahead of entry, with assessment requirements varying by route. Around 180 pupils join the Sixth Form each year, with registration for 16+ entry in the autumn term two years ahead and a deliberately demanding Lower Sixth admissions process. At Year 9 entry, scholarships are available across academic, music, art, sport, and drama.
In Essence
For a child drawn to a school that has quietly been ahead of its time for decades, Marlborough was among the first of the great boarding schools to educate girls and boys together, and it has carried that pioneering outlook into every part of its life since.